Gas turbine engines of the axial flow type include a fan section, a compressor section, a combustion section, and a turbine section. One or more shafts extend axially through the engine from the fan section through the turbine section and rotate spaced apart stages of disks. Each disk carries circumferentially spaced apart blades which extend radially across a flowpath. The shafts are supported by various types of bearing support structures through the engine. In the fan section of high bypass ratio engines, the shaft is supported upon bearings carried by an intermediate case (or fan exit case) which includes a centerbody, an outer ring which is concentric with the centerbody, and circumferentially spaced apart struts which extend radially from the centerbody to the outer ring. Bearing support structures for gas turbine engines are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,492,518 to Neal, 3,620,641 to Keem, and 2,616,662 to Mierley. These structures show struts which are welded together or assembled with mechanical type fasteners. Bearing support structures of a more general nature are shown in British patent No. 2 046 849, Italian Pat. No. 464225, German patent 2 242 988 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,941,781, 3,250,512, 3,398,535, 3,830,058, 3,902,314, 4,240,250, 4,304,522, and 4,428,713.
Advanced gas turbine engines require components capable of supporting heavy loads, and which are readily fabricated and cost effective. This invention addresses these needs, and provides an improved strut for the engine industry.